Team size: Seven

What has been the number one challenge that has impacted you over the past year?

The first challenge has been in obtaining and maintaining water rights for our mining activities. Facing this issue required supporting the refocus of our water management under the leadership of the operation’s general manager. I also collaborated with others, applying valuable experience accumulated from our time serving in operational areas in the southern part of Peru to make it available for productive and exploratory corporate activities. We formulated solid technical files applicable to official procedures in order to obtain authorisations from the water authority to carry out hydraulic works that facilitate the development of our production units.

In the same socio-political context, the other challenge is related to the Michiquillay mining project in Cajamarca. Having obtained government authorisations shortly before the crisis with Castillo, we were able to advance the execution of complex social agreements,

Accelerating the implementation of communal cadastres and agreements that provide social support to the Michiquillay project has required having a very solid and agile legal team that, although small, receives the outstanding support of Rodrigo Law Firm specialists. Together, we have addressed many support issues in the areas of exploration, social, comptrollership and internal affairs, among others.

Another great catalyst for our progress, which aided us in successfully facing the mining challenge in Cajamarca is the local people themselves who provided their assistance. By working as a team, we have been able to move towards developing the project.

Looking forward, what technological advancements do you feel will impact the role of in-house legal teams in the future the most?      

Peru has legislation that regulates the use of technology in various areas, which affects legal work. There is a great margin for the efficient growth of our legal advisory tasks based on globalised technological development.

The development of technology – especially relating to automated processes – and the ability to carry out legal tasks with little to no errors, will lead to a high level of output in the legal sector. This will enable lawyers to spend more time on complex, creative and strategic legal work, while reflecting greater productivity in legal work.

Peru also promotes the application of information and communication technologies in its public administration to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency and digitally transform administrative processes, services, and procedures. This digital regulation also has great disadvantages if those notifications are well controlled by law firms or legal departments. Fortunately, the current Peruvian procedural norm, the General Administrative Procedure Law, is benign with those responsible for administering said notifications.

Undoubtedly, the technological field will have a profound impact on legal work, and there will be a greater focus on the development of AI for the provision of legal services. While I cannot imagine machines that offer the same capacities in the legal order as the human being, I do think it is possible that we will see, for example, the drafting and reviewing of contracts by computers.

I find it difficult to believe that technological advancements can replace the human capacity to think and feel – at the same time – as we human beings do, while considering legal criteria and ethical values when making analysis or judgments. Consequently, we must take care to ensure that the relationship and cohesion between internal and external legal teams do not end up being adversely impacted.